The Show Must Go On
by JEM0013
Summary: Even when the going gets tough the show must continue
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The rising sun glinted off the rolling waves of the ocean to dance like the spotlights on the stage. Gulls called raucously as the brown eyes tracked their progress across the sky towards the board walk where vendors would soon be opening stalls. The breeze tugged at her shoulder length purple hair and whipped her oversized t—shirt against her body.

She brought her gaze down to the water as the sounds of stage hands started to filter through the sounds of the ocean. Sora closed her eyes as she thought back to last nights meeting.

 _ **Flashback**_

" _You're giving me the lead?" Rosetta's quiet voice held shock and wonder._

 _Kalos looked silently to Mia signaling her to take over the explanation of the parts. "There are actually several large parts that are shared. Rosetta and Beth will be counter parts, while Mei and Sora will be counter parts. The story line is that there are two worlds that mirror each other. The one, born in light struggles to maintain it's balance as the one born in darkness reaches into it to steal its light. Rosetta and Mei are the two heroes from the world in the light while Beth and Sora are of the dark."_

 _Mia continued on the story line as Rosetta looked at Beth with slight revulsion. She was new to the stage and her short brown hair swung sassily around her ears. Her bright blue eyes latched onto Sora's brown ones in hopeful joy. Her tiny frame bounced lightly as she tried to contain her happiness. Rosetta tracked her hazel eyes to her best friend and idol._

 _Sora was looking at her in encouragement. Rosetta knew, that sometimes, you had to work with people you didn't like to make the audience smile. She learned that from both Sora and Mei._

" _So essentially,…" Mei's voice sounded, "Beth and Sora are going to be working with no light on the stage?"_

" _There will be small areas of light but the impact of their story is that they struggle in darkness. We've seen Beth on the trampolines in almost complete darkness and some of us have noticed that Sora closes her eyes on the trapeze's…she knows where they are without looking. The costumes for the kingdom in the light is made to reflect whereas the costumes for the kingdom in the dark is made to glow in the dark."_

 _Mia looked at Sora and Beth. Coming over to stand in front of them. "This is a dangerous one for the two of you…and no one is going to force you to do anything you don't want to. If you agree you two will be working with Jean to create the set you're most comfortable with."_

" _Just one question…" Sora looked over Mia's head at Jean. "Can we do fiber-optics in the trapeze?"_

 _Jean's eyebrows quirked up in thought as Beth squealed in thought. "Oooooh! And the trampoline's can have glow in the dark paint swirled on!"_

 _Jean still held Sora's brown eyes with his quiet, thoughtful gaze before slowly turning to Mia's blue eyes. "I think we can come up with something interesting."_

 _ **End Flashback**_

Sora closed her eyes against the brightness. She didn't feel uncomfortable about her part but, something, was making her tense.

Fool had done a reading this morning when she'd woken up from a weird dream and since then he hasn't spoken to her let alone look at her. So now she worried. This was going to be difficult with it being in the dark.

"Sora!" She turned towards the voice. Kens light brown hair tossed in the breeze as he came closer. "Everything ok?" His quiet voice soothed her nerves as she let the muscles, she hadn't realized were so tense, loosen.

"Yea." Sora leaned over to put her head on Kens shoulder. "I'm just worrying about nothing."

Ken blushed profusely before her words sank in. He looked down to her face. "You're worried?" She brought her normally happy brown eyes up to meet his. "Sora?"

She sighed, "I don't know why."

Ken ran his hand down her back, feeling her tight muscles he started to rub harder to relax her. At her quiet sigh he blushed again but let her stand there leaning against him as long as she needed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Ken watched Sora on the trapeze while Mia and Jean spoke quietly next to him. Mia was right. Sora closed her eyes and a look of bliss graced her features when she was on the trapeze. He always felt freer when he watched Sora perform. Like she took the freedom she felt and spread it to the people watching her.

"Ken," He turned towards Mia as she continued. "Have you noticed anything wrong with Rosetta?" Ken frowned in thought as Mia continued her thoughts, "I asked her to come down with Mei and watch both Beth and Sora do their performances but she seemed to be depressed and absolutely refused."

"She needs to have input on the set up if she's going to use the same set." Came Jeans reply.

"Are Mei and Beth here?"

"They're up on the walk, Ken."

Ken looked up to see the two girls sitting on a cat walk: Beth abnormally quiet, awe silencing even her squeals of joy, Mei looked on analytically, dissecting each jump and leap Sora took. "Should I see if I can get her to talk?"

"I will." Sora's voice drew their attention to her as she came straight down to a swing, landing lightly before back flipping to the floor. "Something is bugging her." She landed in a crouch before rising fluidly to her feet. "I'll talk to her."

"Sora?"

"I think I have an idea of what's bothering her."

Mia nodded to Sora before she turned to walk out in search of the younger girl.

She found her sitting on the wharf. Rosetta's hazel eyes stared out at the people walking up and down the boardwalk. She didn't acknowledge Sora as she sat down next to her but continued to stare off at the smiling children.

"Fool?"

Rosetta nodded as her answer before looking at Sora. "He hasn't looked at me since the meeting and refuses to talk to me." Tears filled her eyes, "Did I do something wrong?"

"No."

"Then what's wrong?"

Sora sighed as she debated how much to tell her. "He did a reading and didn't like the prediction he got." Sora held Rosetta's gaze. "It means we have to be strong and change his prediction." She tilted her head, putting a reassuring smile on her face, "Think we can?"

Rosetta looked at Sora. If her idol could be strong then she had to be as well. "Yes."

They returned to the practice hall shortly after. Beth was on a set of trampolines on stage 2 while Jean was on the catwalk doing something with a trapeze.

"Oh! Sora!" Mia waved them over. "I know you were just running through some possible maneuvers before but we'd love for you to try your tentative routine!"

Sora looked at Mei who shrugged guiltily before looking back to Beth doing a flip onto a trampoline from the side. "And how do you know that I have a routine planned yet?

"Oh! Uh...um...well, you see…"

Sora laughed! "It's okay Mia! I know Mei slipped. I don't mind showing it to you but just so you know, it is exactly as you called it...'tentative'." Sora looked up to the trapeze as Jean finished lowering the one he'd been working on. It was the main swing, that would be the one she used the most for her jumps. "I still have to work in what Rosetta can and can't do, as well as smooth out some of the transitions."

"Hey!" Rosetta stomped indignantly. "I can do whatever maneuver you can do! All I need to do is practice!"

"Ooooooo! Are we going to get to see your routine? I can't wait Sora!"

Beth's voice grated on Rosetta's nerves, and it irked her more when Sora smiled at the annoying girl bouncing in place on her trampoline.

"Well, I guess now's as good as time as any. Mei, Ken, do you have the sticks and cd still?"

"Of course!" Mei rolled her eyes. "I haven't had a chance to run up to our room yet."

Ken looked at Mei before meeting Sora's eyes, "I still have the music with me. I was going to keep it with the binder…"

Mei brought the small black bag she'd been carrying while Ken took the disc to the boombox at the center of the stage. While Mei helped Sora strap on the glow sticks the rest of her friends grabbed seats on the mini stage. Jean, sat in the front row, ready to check for any defects in the equipment he'd just replaced.

At last, Sora moved a mini-mounting trampoline into the center stage and turned toward the boombox and light box. She dimmed the lights to almost complete darkness and set the swings in motion with the motors. Some of the trapeze switched on, the lights Jean had rigged inside them glowing brightly. Sora smiled at the new trapeze in the center. Where Jean had originally drilled small holes into some trapeze to allow the lights he inserted to shine through, the center swing was clear, as if made out of glass. Sora moved into position as the cd played through the one minute blank space played through, giving her time to get everything set.

Sora heard the cue and ran into action. She jumped on the trampoline and launched herself in the air, performing the angels maneuver to launch herself higher from the center trapeze. She flung and danced herself across the glowing bars, with flips and turns, with falls and swings.

Her audience, her friends were silent in awe. She, at times, seemed to dance in mid-air or seemed to miss a bar only to land on the one below. She glided smoothly through the air in her routine. And when the music reached the cresendo, Sora had jumped from the highest trapeze to enter into a flip. She seemed suspended in air for a moment as the music silenced for a beat. Then it returned with speed and fervor as Sora dropped. She somehow managed to miss every swing, sliding between passing ones or gliding over ones that had just arced by, until the very last one where she managed to somehow land lightly and jump and tumble to the ground at the very end of the song.

Every one of them were shocked into silence as Sora slowly stood from her position. Mei whistled loudly breaking them from their stupors.

"That was AMAZING! You made it look so easy…"

"It is easy Mei, you just need to know the timing of the swings." Sora looked at Jean, "And Jean makes that easy."

Jean smiled in glee. "How was the new swing?" Jean stepped up to the swing in question. "It looked like it took your weight well as well as the force from your jumps and landing."

"It was amazing! I felt the flexibility when I landed and was able to adjust my landing more so that usual."

"Well! The hard parts done...Rosetta, you better start practicing!" Mia's cheerful voice rang in the quietness of the stage.

"Yep, the trapeze held up under Sora's rigorous routine. I'll get a couple of my best in making the rest of the new ones while I work with Beth for a bit on the setting she wants."

Mia nodded and looked to Beth, who was, oddly, still silent. "Looks like we found the best way to silence our resident cheerleader."

"oh My GOD! THAT WAS AMAZING! I WAS TINGLING THE WHOLE TIME WATCHING YOU! OH PLEASE TELL ME YOU CAN TEACH ME HOW TO DO THAT!"

"Easy Beth, you're breaking our eardrums." Sora laughed. "Besides, you can do amazing things on the trampoline! I'll still teach you, of course, if you want to learn but you should be proud of the things you can already accomplish and the routines you create."

"You're right! And of course now I have some serious inspiration! I need to sit down and figure out some angles…"

"Well while you do that I think it's time for lunch." Rosetta's tone caught the attention of Sora, but instead of scolding her in front of everyone Sora decided on a different route.

"That's a good idea, I'm starving after that. Beth, Jean why don't you tell us what you want to eat. This way you can get a head start on your ideas and we'll bring back some food and eat here."

"Oh? Thank you Sora!"

"No problem Jean." Sora smiled up at Ken "Would...you like to come with me to get everyone's lunch?" Ken blushed mumbling he'd be happy to as she pulled him out of the practice stage.

All the while leaving a fuming Rosetta listening to the chattering Beth as she rambled about how amazing she had to make her routine to match with the routine Sora just performed.

Training and preparing went off without a hitch. Rosetta and Mei decided that Rosetta would follow Sora's training while Mei worked on her trampoline act with Beth. The girls worked together for weeks while Mia and Jean worked relentlessly to make a stage that would showcase their performers.

Everyone tweaked and practiced right up until opening night. For performance week, cheers and gasps of joy were their reward, food for their souls.

And finally, it was the last night of the performance. It was raining incessantly with cold winds blowing off the sea front. Audience members brought the wet in with them as it dripped from their jackets to the floors and seats. Warmth permeated as they settled into their seats and the spotlights poured light onto the seats.

Behind the scenes, performers and stage hands were setting up last minute details before curtain. Rosetta watched some of the extras scatter to their positions and knew it was time. She breathed out slow and told herself that there was just one more performance to get through before she and Sora could find Fool and show him he had nothing to worry about.

The music started and the rest of the performers scrambled into their positions. The show started without a hitch. The introduction scene where they took turns with the lights on and off. Rosetta made sure to stay opposite of Sora. Their timing perfect. Then the confrontation in the light between them where they seemed to fly at each other. During the intermission, all the performers were feeling overheated from the lack of airflow the closed doors created. Several of the actors took this time to step out into the cool rain, returning with damp costumes and wet shoes.

The intermission nearly over everyone returned to their positions for the finale. Those in dark uniforms went on first, as if running away back to their world. With those from the light following them. Rosetta stepped up to her position and waited for her cue. When it came she launched out. She had three jumps before Sora would come out and they made their way to the middle trapeze.

She released from the first trapeze and reached out toward the second. Her hand gripped it and the bar slipped through her hand like a wet bar of soap.

She looked up as she fell.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Sora didn't think. When she saw Rosetta slip from the trapeze she just reacted. Leaping from the catwalk and tackling her in midair. She managed to grab Rosetta before she forced her body to turn.

Just then the lights turned off. _Ken must've hit the lights._

Still reacting, Sora reached up to one of the pulley ropes and latched on with her free hand. The pull of their combined weight tore the rope through her fingers. Still plummeting towards the ground she forced her hand to hold tighter ignoring the friction burn eating through her palm.

Slowly she felt them come to a stop. Her hand throbbed painfully but with the lights off she couldn't risk letting go of either the rope or Rosetta. She wasn't sure how far off the ground they still were so she held on. The screams and cries from the audience hurting her heart.

Sora felt a warm trickle down her arm and started to panic. She held her voice in though, waiting for the children to be evacuated from the stands before she called out for help. They hung there for what seemed like hours, the voices slowly dieing down. Flashlight lights started to scan the stage set looking for Rosetta, stage hands and performers alike calling out to Rosetta, but Sora still couldn't bring herself to open her mouth. She knew she'd have to, to alert her friends they were alright but she couldn't force herself to call out.

"Sora!"

She saw light behind her closed eyes. She hadn't realized she'd closed them but she opened them now to see the worried brown of Ken's eyes.

"K-ken!" Sora sobbed out his name. Now that she'd spoken the pain intensified and she cried while holding on for dear life. They were still about ten feet off the ground and she couldn't let either of them fall and get hurt.

"It's okay! You're doing amazing, just hold on for one more minute…" Kens voice shook as he turned the light down and called to Jean to bring a ladder as quickly as possible. He brought the light back up to Sora. "Sora?" he called softly, "Can you tell me how bad you're hurt?"

She didn't answer, just continued to cry quietly, the pain in her hand radiating down her arm and into her shoulder. It felt like hot embers being pushed into her hand, the throbbing coming in time with her heartbeat.

She heard Kens voice call, then Jeans, then a clatter. Soon hands were reaching for Rosetta. "Sora? You can let her go…I have her."

Sora whimpered, "I can't Jean."

"Of course you can, you're both safe now."

"N-no…I can't"

Jean reached for Sora's hand that was gripping onto Rosetta's costume. Slowly, he pried her fingers open and took the smaller girls weight. He edged down the ladder and laid her flat as the paramedics started up the stage. He turned back to go back up the ladder but Ken was already heading up.

"Sora?" Ken looked at the girl who held his heart. Her face was pale, streaked with tears, blood trickled down her arm and smeared lightly on her right cheek and turned her dark blue costume darker with the stain. When she opened her eyes he felt fear take hold. They were blank. Like a dolls eyes there was none of what made Sora her normal self in those eyes. Ken stood up on the very top of the ladder to help brace Sora against him as he reached up with a knife that all stage hands carried.

As carefully as he could he sawed through the rope. She whimpered at the movement but soon enough she was slumping in his arms, still holding the lower part of the rope. He took her weight and awkwardly lowered them down.

She trembled when he set her down on the floor. He shifted around to her right hand to hold it up as he gathered the rope. The paramedics came over and started hurtling questions at her but Sora couldn't focus on the words.

Sounds, ringing, yelling, crying, they all sounded loudly in her head. The overrode all coherent thought. All except for one thing.

"Rosetta?" She whispered her friends name and when she didn't hear her friends name or voice back she whispered it again and again until everything went dark.


End file.
